


The Contractual Obligations of Loving Patrick Brewer

by paleredheadinascifi



Series: Schitt's Creek High [2]
Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Confessions, Established Relationship, First Fight, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:08:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22289176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paleredheadinascifi/pseuds/paleredheadinascifi
Summary: In part two of the Schitt's Creek High series, David and Patrick navigate first fights, first confessions of big, scary feelings, and the importance of the Dewey Decimal System (it's very, very important).
Relationships: Patrick Brewer/David Rose
Series: Schitt's Creek High [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1604377
Comments: 58
Kudos: 159





	The Contractual Obligations of Loving Patrick Brewer

**Author's Note:**

> This picks up a few months after Schitt's Creek High finishes off. Read it first if you'd like, but this can be read as a stand alone if you ain't got time for that!
> 
> **This used to be called something else until a lovely commenter pointed out the person in the shoutout didn't deserve the shoutout at all (that's what you get for giving an old white dude the benefit of the doubt). Only the title and the last few lines have been changed 💕

David hated that he felt this way, but they’d been dating for a few ( _four!)_ months now and Patrick’s schedule was filling up more and more, leaving less time for him to spend with David. Patrick was the male lead in the musical, a very overly enthusiastic member of the baseball, theatre and debate teams, as well as the (in David’s opinion) most talented musician in the school band. Right now, though, David was glaring at his boyfriend’s back, watching him read over the noticeboard in the school hallway for the fourth time that week.

It was covered in posters and signup sheets for every extra curricular a school could possibly have, and David wasn’t sure why Patrick was even _reading_ it – how did he even have time to _read it_??

Whilst it hadn’t been more than a day since they’d physically seen each other, it had been over a week since they’d actually managed to spend any time together, just the two of them. So although the middle of the school hallway wasn’t ideal, David wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass him. He also, uh, had some noticeboard-related concerns to voice.

Sneaking up behind him, he wound his arms around Patrick’s waist and pressed his face snug into his neck, subtly breathing in the combination of discount scents he’d grown to love. He felt the moment Patrick relaxed back into him, a happy sigh falling from his lips.

“Whatcha doin’?” David asked, pressing a quick kiss to Patrick’s shoulder.

Patrick turned in his arms, hooking his own arms around David’s neck, his trademark heart-eyes smile already lighting up his face. “There you are, I missed you.”

Patrick’s line of sight dropped immediately to David’s lips, a tell-tale sign he wanted David to kiss him. They’d been, uh, _gently reminded_ a few times about the school’s PDA policy, and had been warned about a possible warning for a detention if they were caught again. It seemed like a reward that outweighed the risk, so David leant down and let himself sink into the feeling of home he found there.

When he pulled away not long after the kiss had started, Patrick was pouting and looking a little dazed.

“Mmm, so what are we doing over here?” David asked, gesturing to the notice board behind them.

Patrick just smirked. “I missed you too, Patrick. You’re the very best boyfriend in the whole world, I miss you even when you’re right here,” Patrick suggested, seemingly not picking up on David’s internal dismay over the god damn piece of shit notice board that was ruining his life.

“Sure,” David agreed. “So what is it this time? A hiking club? A business mentorship club? A make-old-ladies-in-nursing-homes-feel-less-lonely club?”

“Ohh a hiking club sounds fun!” Patrick grinned, eyes wide.

The facial expression David returned to him was one of his best ‘if looks could kill’ glares. Although the intention was for him to wither at the sight, Patrick barely blinked. 

“What?” Patrick laughed. “If you ever came on a hike with me I wouldn’t need a club.”

David rolled his eyes so hard it almost hurt. “You know as well as I do that it would be a deep, shared suffering if that ever, god forbid, happened.”

In fact, David was so confident in his ability to ruin a hike that he’d seriously considered taking Stevie up on her bet that he could complain so violently on the car ride to the hike that Patrick would turn around before they’d even set foot on the ground. He _hadn’t_ , but only because he’s (mostly) not a cruel boyfriend, not because he had any doubts he could do it.

“They’re taking signups for the school dance committee,” Patrick explained, turning back around to point at the pink, glittery poster and signup sheet pinned to the wall.

_Oh, god._

David was able to at the very least _pretend_ to be a supportive boyfriend when it came to Patrick’s extracurricular activities, because he was actually good at them. David could fill the auditorium with students who’d be better at organising a dance than Patrick.

_He’s really running out of ways to avoid spending time with me_ , David’s brain supplied unhelpfully.

“Oh. And that…sounds like fun?” David tried, wincing at the high pitch of his voice.

Patrick nodded enthusiastically. “It could be! Rachel dragged me along last year and it was a surprisingly rewarding experience. They basically let the students do whatever they want – pick the theme, pick the food, pick the decorations, all of it,” he grinned.

David smiled back, although smaller and more pained, because he was defenceless against that smile. “Okay, well if you think it’s a good idea,” David offered, deciding on blinded support rather than brutal honesty.

“I think it’s a great idea. This is going to be the best dance yet, I can just feel it.”

The ring of the bell echoed through the hall, interrupting David’s internal monologue of sincere, disturbed doubt.

“Oh, I’ve gotta run to rehearsal! Are we still on for tonight?” Patrick asked, keeping hold of David’s outstretched hand for as long as he could while he backed away.

“Yep, my parents are out so I’m on Alexis duty.”

“Motel it is. Meet you at your locker, we’ll walk together?”

“It’s a date.”

* * *

See, the thing is, David should never be left alone with his own thoughts. It very rarely ends well. He and Patrick had been together for months, Patrick should really have figured it out by now and never let David be alone, ever. Because all through homeroom, all through first and second period, all through lunch, all through every single class of the day, all through their walk to the motel, David had thought and thought and thought and over-thought some more. He’d thought about why Patrick even checked the notice board when they already have to carve time out of his schedule to spend together weeks in advance. He thought about why Patrick would ever even consider joining the dance committee when he has exactly zero applicable skills. He thought about how much Patrick must not want to spend time with him for him to sign up for the fucking _school dance committee_. Then, then he thought about how selfish and clingy and jealous he was being, and how much better Patrick deserved. Better than this, better than him. He’d somehow made it four whole months without realising it, and David knew his days were numbered. He’d wake up and figure it out any day now. Or maybe not. Maybe he’d be too busy being too busy to think about anything, especially David.

See? David should never be left alone with his thoughts.

David pulled himself out of his self-loathing trance to see Patrick staring at him for the fourth time that afternoon. They were supposed to be studying, set up on the small table in the middle of the motel room, but it had been quiet and weird and Patrick kept _looking_ at him.

“Okay, what?” David sighed, throwing down his pencil with a huff.

Patrick jumped at the sudden outburst, squinting at David like he would make more sense if he just looked harder. “What, what?” Patrick questioned.

“You’re _looking_ at me,” David huffed.

A small smile crept over Patrick’s features. “You’re nice to look at. You’re pretty. And cute. Especially when you’re in a mood.”

“I’m not in a _mood_ ,” David grumbled, accidentally crossing his arms across his chest like a petulant toddler. A fact which Patrick apparently found particularly amusing.

“You are in a mood, and usually I can figure out why, but I’m coming up blank,” Patrick replied, still watching David carefully, like he could explode at any moment.

“So now you’re trying to diagnose this alleged ‘mood’, Dr Brewer? I didn’t realise you’d added ‘after school shrink’ to your list of extra-curriculars”. 

“I’m just trying to figure out what it is you’ve been about to say eight times now. The last time you stopped yourself looked physically painful,” Patrick prompted, with an all-round _I may be about to poke the bear_ kind of air to it.

“Alright, well if you were a doctor you wouldn’t be a very good one because I’m not in a mood and I’m not not saying anything and everything is fine!” David huffed.

“How could I argue with such a display of everything being fine?” Patrick deadpanned, apparently not getting the hint that David didn’t want to talk about it.

“ _Patrick,”_ David warned. 

“David,” Patrick sighed.

“Everything is _fine_ ,” David repeated, with just as much huffiness as the last time.

“David…why can’t you just talk to me?” Patrick asked, pressing the palms of his hands against his temples in frustration.

David looked at him, Patrick looked back.

Patrick knew David was calculating whether he was going to come back with sincerity or more bickering, and David knew that Patrick knew that’s what he was thinking.

“I’ve been talking to you for the last five minutes. I’m talking to you right now,” David offered quietly.

“That’s…that’s not what I meant and you know it,” Patrick cautioned. By this point, any amusement Patrick had been finding in the situation earlier had been well and truly drained.

“Okay, well, now who’s in a mood?” David pointed out, because things had already started rolling down a very steep hill and nothing was going to stop it now.

“Now we’re both in a mood because you won’t tell me what’s wrong!” Patrick snapped. “You’ve been upset with me for weeks and I don’t know why and you won’t _tell me!”_

Patrick’s voice was raised, and he didn’t do that often. He was the calm, level-headed one who thinks it’s cute when David sulks. As annoying as that was, David much preferred it over this.

“There’s nothing to tell,” he whispered, looking anywhere but Patrick.

“David. I’m not an idiot and you’re not exactly subtle. You’ve been weird with me since I had to cancel our pizza thing for the cabaret rehearsal, and when I tried to talk to you about it you _assured_ me it was fine. But it doesn’t feel fine! It feels like you’re pulling back and I don’t know why! You’re my boyfriend, and all I ever want to do is spend time with you and talk to you, but you won’t talk to me, and I don’t know _why_ ,” Patrick tried to explain, his distress evident. Patrick in distress usually breaks David’s fucking heart, but right now he was a little blinded with a burning, jealous rage.

“If all you want to do is spend time with me, why are you signing up for _more things_ that mean we have less time together!?” he shouted. He could feel the sting of tears forming in his eyes and he _hated it_.

Patrick was still looking at him like he had two heads.

“What?” Patrick squeaked. “What things, what are you talking about?”

“You’re _always_ busy!” David cried, letting the physical and metaphorical floodgates open. “And I fucking hate it! I hate that I’m jealous and needy and clingy. You shouldn’t have to not do the things you love just because I can’t handle being alone more afternoons than not. So I deal with it, because it’s not fair for me to say anything. _I’m_ the one with the problem, it’s not your problem, it’s not about you, that’s why I don’t bother you with it. I’m the one who needs to get over it, and I’m _trying,_ but then you go and check the noticeboard literally every single morning, like you need more things to take up your time. Like you don’t have enough. Like I’m not enough,” he sniffled.

“David.”

Somewhere in the midst of David’s tantrum of an outburst, Patrick’s entire demeanour had changed. He wasn’t grinding his jaw in the way he did when he was angry, or tapping his finger against his thigh like he did when he was nervous. He looked utterly _broken_. Like David had fucking broken him.

“NO! It’s…fuck, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said any of that. I don’t want you to…it’s fine. It’s fine. I’m sorry, you’re not - - I’m the one with the problem - - I - ” David desperately tried to backtrack.

“David, stop it!” Patrick demanded, stepping closer to David to take hold of his hands that were so helpfully shaking. “Stop talking. Shh,” he whispered, wiping at the tears still leaking involuntarily from David’s face. “ _I’m_ sorry, okay? I’m sorry. Come here.” Patrick collected David up in his arms, squeezing as tight as he could.

David let out an embarrassing sob into his neck.

“I’m sorry,” David repeated. He wasn’t sure for which embarrassing thing, specifically. All of it, really.

“No, no. David, look at me,” Patrick begged, pulling away from the hug to take David’s face in his hands. They’d spoken about how bad this whole face-holding thing was for David’s skincare, but now didn’t seem like the time to mention it again.

“This isn’t _your_ problem, okay? It’s _ours_. Yours and mine, together. Us,” Patrick said seriously, waiting for David to nod before he continued. “But I won’t know that it’s a problem if you don’t tell me how you feel, David. You know that I’m a…take charge kind of guy. I try to do too many things at once and I get swept up in it and sometimes I get lost in it, but I _never ever_ want to lose _you_ in it. I don’t want you to ever feel like you’re not the most important thing.”

“I shouldn’t be - -” David tried.

“You are,” Patrick interrupted. “I don’t know if you should or shouldn’t be, but you are. I’d quit everything if you asked me to, David. All of it. But you said it yourself, you would never ask me to. You’re notjealous or needy or clingy, no one supports me as much as you do. I never thought anyone could beat out Marcy Brewer as my number one cheerleader, but I think you’ve done it,” he smiled fondly, leaning in to press a kiss to David’s wet cheek.

David laugh-sniffled, which was disgusting and completely incorrect to do so close to your boyfriend’s face, but Patrick didn’t seem to mind. “Don’t tell her you said that,” David hiccupped.

“Oh, she knows,” Patrick grinned, pulling David’s face towards him just enough to reach his lips. He let his hands trace down from David’s face, along his chest, seeking out David’s hands to grab in his own. “So, um, this morning? With the school dance committee? I wasn’t talking about _me_ signing up, I was talking about _you_ …signing up,” he corrected, looking up at David sheepishly.

David blinked.

_Ohhhhh. Fuck._

“…me?” He confirmed.

“Yes, you,” Patrick laughed. “I thought…I dunno, I thought it might be nice for you to have something that’s yours. Something that you actually like to do in this town which, and I quote, ‘was built for and by people with the taste equivalent of Adam Sandler on a red carpet’. Besides, I don’t think they’d actually let me back on the committee after I suggested a blue and green colour scheme last year,” he admitted.

“Dear god! And so they shouldn’t,” David reeled, horrified.

“They’d be lucky to have you,” Patrick whispered against David’s lips, squeezing his hands in his.

“Mmm,” David nodded. “The thing is, I’m used to working with a little bit more than a $5 budget and a scattering of broken, leftover theatre props for event décor? Not to mention I’m sure the other students haven’t had nearly the amount of event training that I have had, and if the events of the 2018 Teens Against Hay Fever Ball tell us anything, it’s that they probably wouldn’t understand my vision. I do not need another well-intentioned but poorly misguided Millie Bobbie Brown on my hands.”

Patrick nodded solemnly, amusement alight in his eyes. “Well I can’t make any promises, but you’ll have Rachel on your side, she can kick them into gear,” he noted, pressing another kiss to David’s lips. “You could make it beautiful, David,” he whispered.

And, well, _Fuck_.

_He could._

“I’ll think about it,” David decided, doing his best to tackle the grin that was desperately trying to break free from the corner of his mouth. 

“Okay,” Patrick smiled, moving in to kiss the grin off the side of David’s face when --

“David, I need Patrick!” Alexis demanded, slamming open the motel door and strutting into the room like the world was her own personal runway.

“Okay, well you can’t have him,” David glared, tightening his hold on Patrick’s hands.

“David! I need his help with my homework!” She whined. “That’s more important than you drooling all over him for the hundredth time this week!” She stomped. 

“Um, ew?” David faux-retched. “I do not drool on anything, let alone my boyfriend. So, scram.”

“ _David,”_ Patrick warned, his eyebrows raised at David as if David didn’t already know what his thoughts were on the matter

“What!” David sighed.

Patrick shook his head in one of his more trying displays of amusement. “Alexis, I’d be happy to help with your homework. What do you need help with?”

“Ummm, Patrick? You’re literally way too nice of a person to be dating my brother.”

“Um, F off Alexis,” David offered cheerfully.

“Oh my god, David! I’m telling Dad you said that!” Alexis sneered.

“Oh no! I said a letter of the alphabet! God forbid!” David gasped dramatically.

“ _David_ ,” Patrick sighed.

“What, Patrick! What?” David squawked.

“The sooner I help Alexis with her homework, the sooner we can get back to our conversation,” Patrick explained calmly.

_Oh. Ew._

“Well that’s not necessary. The conversation is over,” David rebuked, trying for a tone that wouldn’t spark Alexis’s interest.

But because, obviously, that wasn’t going to happen, Alexis’s eyes narrowed at him with glee.

“Ohhh what conversation?” She sang, hands flapping about aimlessly.

“Hey Alexis? Step on a Lego,” David threw back. 

“Did he find out about the night time oop--” she started to whisper, eyes wide.

David physically flung himself five steps across the room to slap his hand over her mouth before she got out another word. “OKAY, Alexis! You are absolutely never going to finish that sentence. We are a thread away from homelessness and I am not beyond changing these locks.”

“David. Alexis,” Patrick tried.

“Ugh, fine! Go help her, it’s your funeral,” David sighed, turning Alexis’s tiny frame in his hands and pushing her towards the door. She liked to study on the picnic table, it increased the probability of distractions.

“Oh yay! David, yay! It won’t take long, I triple pinky promise,” she buzzed, fluttering out of the room.

Patrick caught David around the waist on his way to follow her out. “Why don’t you pick a movie, and I’ll negotiate with Alexis to get the room to ourselves once she’s finished her homework?” He asked, kissing along David’s jaw.

“She’ll bleed you dry,” David warned, preening under the attention his neck was getting.

“Don’t care, worth it,” Patrick whispered into the spot behind his ear.

“See, I want you to mean that in a ‘really intense make-out’ kind of way, but I know you mean it in a ‘so we can finish our hive-inducing conversation’ kind of way and it’s kind of ruining it for me,” David grumbled.

With a final quick kiss to his lips, Patrick pulled away with a grin.

“Pick the movie, David,” he smiled, smacking David’s behind on the way out the door.

* * *

For once in her life, Alexis was true to her word. Patrick was only gone for the amount of time it took David to weigh up the pros and cons of making Patrick sit through Notting Hill for the twentieth time. Obviously, the pros outweighed the cons…it was Notting Hill.

“It was fractions!” Patrick grinned as he came back in the door.

“Mmm, wow, how exciting?” David offered.

“Mm, well whilst fractions _can_ be very exciting, they are also fairly easy to explain, so I am back and Alexis has agreed to hang in your parent’s room until they get home,” Patrick explained, winding his arms around David’s waist.

“At what cost, though?” David grimaced.

“My Spotify login for a month,” Patrick shrugged.

“A _month_? Your Rewind is going to be so screwed,” he shuddered, closing the distance in an attempt to make up for it with the really intense make out he was still holding out hope for. 

“David, we should talk about it,” Patrick interjected. 

“I don’t think we should,” David suggested as a counter-offer.

“I think it’s important that we do,” Patrick smiled, pressing a kiss into David’s cheek.

David threw his head back, squeezed his eyes closed and sighed as dramatically as he could at the ceiling.

“There’s really nothing to talk about, I was being dramatic and weird about you signing up for something that you weren’t even signing up for. I love all the things you do. It’s not a thing,” David tried, fluttering his hands over Patrick’s shoulders nervously.

“Okay, but I don’t think that was everything. I think that was just the last straw. You said you’d been feeling like we weren’t spending enough time together, right?” Patrick prodded, hands running soothingly up and down the small of David’s back. 

Going against every fibre of his being, David begrudgingly nodded, looking anywhere but at Patrick.

“Good, that’s good. Me too. And although there’s not much we can do about it at the moment with the musical, I know _I_ feel a lot better knowing it’s not just me who feels like that,” Patrick admitted.

“Mmhm,” David nodded again, risking a glance at Patrick only to be met with one of his best heart-eye expressions to date.

“And Mrs Schitt said the Cabaret leads are eligible for an extra spare study period a week from now until the end of the show, so I was thinking of maybe making my study period at the same time as your study period and we could study together,” Patrick added.

David took in Patrick’s word with narrowed eyes. 

“…Study. Together,” he repeated suspiciously.

  
Studying was not really at the top of any list of things David wants to do with Patrick.

“Yes. _Study_ together, David. Because I do actually need the extra study period, but at least we’d be… you know. Together? I just…I just like spending time with you. I like being near you. Um. Obviously.”

“Obviously,” David grinned, wrapping his arms around Patrick’s neck to pull their lips together. “That sounds really nice. Thank you.”

It was Patrick’s turn to pull David’s body flush against his own, licking into David’s mouth with a reflexive groan.

They were still taking things slow, they’d both agreed it was for the best not to rush into anything. David wasn’t sure _when_ they would be rushing into anything, because they’re literally never alone, but when Patrick makes noises like that, he starts thinking _very_ creatively.

As if Patrick could sense David’s train of thought, he pulled back with a satisfied smirk. “So you’ve gone with Notting Hill again I see. Colour me shocked,” Patrick teased.

“Yes, but, um, actually. Before we get to what is objectively one of the best romance films of our time, there’s just one _minor_ issue with the studying thing,” David cringed as he spoke, picking at the shoulders of Patrick’s shirt.

“And what’s that?”

“Oh, it’s just that we’ll have to find somewhere that isn’t the library to do the studying, because it’s possible that I have been tentatively, mildly, banned,” David explained casually.

David had to give it to him, the effort Patrick put into tamping down his responding grin was a noble one.

“You’ve been banned from the library?” Patrick repeated, for clarification.

“Tentatively,” David nodded.

“And how does one find themselves, tentatively, banned from the library?” Patrick asked, the grin now barely concealed whatsoever.

David sighed, flinging his hands up into the air to properly defend the injustice he had been subjected to.

“There’s a _system_ to organising books! Libraries should be run on the Dewey Decimal Classification system within _topics_ , it’s not just _alphabetical order by author_ , but Doris apparently wants to watch the world burn!” David squawked.

Patrick, again to his credit, nodded solemnly. “Doris, as in the librarian who is rumoured to be older than the school itself, Doris?” Patrick double-checked.

David’s hands went through an emotional process of a journey in response to that before he spoke. “ _Yes._ But I refuse to refer to any person who doesn’t understand the fundamental elements of library classification as a ‘librarian’”.

“So just to get this straight, you’re in a feud with Doris, the ancient librarian, because you’ve deemed her organisational methods to be incorrect?” Patrick grinned.

“That is correct,” David nodded.

“And so she’s banned you from using the library?” Patrick continued.

“Tentatively. I don’t think she’s sure she really has the authority,” David added, biting his lip to stop his own smile from spreading.

“Tentatively. Right,” Patrick nodded. 

“It’s not my fault that Doris doesn’t know how to take constructive feedback! She can get exceptionally nasty for a woman who looks so much like Betty White. But the fact remains, she has classified the library like a wild animal and something needs to change and I refuse to stand down on the matter,” David huffed, crossing his arms across his chest against Patrick. 

“David?”

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

David stopped breathing. Like, actually stopped breathing.

Patrick brought his hands up to rub up and down the sides of David’s arms where they were still crossed over his body.

“You don’t have to say it back, say it when you’re ready, but I physically couldn’t not say it anymore. I don’t know anyone else who would go to bat for the Dewey Decimal System, I don’t even know anyone who would know how the Dewey Decimal System _works_ ,” Patrick laughed.

“I read a lot,” David said quietly.

Patrick’s grin somehow _grew._ “I know. I know you do. I love that about you. I’ve never seen you with the same book twice. It’s hot.”

“That’s just cause you’re insane and you think my glasses are hot,” David retorted.

“They are. I’ll stand by that til the day I die.”

It took everything in him, but David brought his arms down from where the were hugging himself, and took hold of Patrick’s hands, intertwining their fingers together tightly.

“I’m sorry for not talking to you, for pulling back,” he whispered.

Patrick took a second to respond, looking down at their joined hands.

“Thank you,” he eventually replied softly. “I was… I thought you were maybe sick of this. Of, um, me, I guess?” He admitted.

David could barely shake his head fast enough. “That’s just… absolutely, wildly inaccurate. Bordering on impossible.”

Patrick gave a small smile at that, still looking at where their hands were joined between them.

“David, I need you to know that when you said that you felt like you weren’t enough…I feel like that all the time. That’s why I try to do so much, because I never feel like I’m doing enough. I’ve always been so focused on getting good grades, getting into a good college, getting a good job. My parents work so hard so I have all the best chances, and I know how much it means to them. And now there’s _you_ ,” Patrick confessed, gesturing at David with their intertwined hands.

“Me? What about me? I don’t care what grades you get or which college you go to. I mean, ideally not one on the other side of the country, but, um. That’s…It’s a while away still, so,” David faded out, realising what he was implying a little too late.

Patrick’s attention snapped up from the hands to look right at David. “You think we’ll still be together years from now?” He asked with a smile that set David’s heart on fire.

“I think you shouldn’t put pressure on yourself that no one else is actually putting on you,” David avoided.

“Right. Well, all my plans have you in them, so I hope we are,” Patrick smiled, squeezing David’s hands.

“That’s, um. Me too. You’re in all my plans, too,” David admitted, squeezing right back.

“And I, um. Well, I guess I just, um,” Patrick stuttered, looking pained.

David let go of Patrick’s hands to run his fingers up Patrick’s arms, landing on his favourite spot over Patrick’s shoulders. 

“I think, uh, for this to work…I think you’ve gotta… talk to me, too?” David tried, willing Patrick to meet his eye.

When he did, David really hoped what we found there looked like love. He was pretty sure it did. 

“Yeah. No, you’re right. I guess… I’ve just been thinking that you’re not from here? This isn’t really…your scene. You’re not a small town person, you’re a big city person, and I want to be able to… go where you go. I don’t want to hold you back. So I…I need a good college application so I have a chance of getting into the big city colleges, so I can get a good enough job and make enough money to move out of here, with you,” Patrick confessed in one long breath.

David took a breath of his own and readied himself to be the calm, logical one for just a minute.

“Patrick. I mean this in the best possible way, but you’ve lost your mind. I don’t even know where to start with that, but for starters, I’m not sure what ‘big city colleges’ you think I’m going to be getting into and leaving you behind for. If we – when we get there, we’ll figure it out together. But it’s not - - we don’t have to think about it right now. If the last few months have taught me anything, it’s to make the most of what you have while you have it. So, how about this: I’ll promise to tell you what I’m feeling, even when it’s stupid, if you promise to try not to get too ahead of yourself and make assumptions about what I’ll want,” he proposed. “Deal?”

“Deal,” Patrick agreed, letting David pull him back in for what could only be described as a really intense make out.

David was _very_ pleased with himself.

* * *

The next day, when no one was looking, David signed his name on the sparkly, glittery pink sign up sheet, and was immediately accosted at lunch.

“David! Harper told me in English that Dani told her she’d seen your name on the sign up sheet for the dance committee!?” Rachel just about squealedthe second he sat down in his designated spot next to Patrick.

“WHAT!?” Twyla squeaked, slamming down her chocolate milk so hard that bits of it flew dangerously close to his sweater. 

“I know!!” Rachel gleamed, looking excitedly between the two of them. David just kind of wanted to disappear into the concrete below them.

“David this is _so_ exciting, oh my god. You’re like, a professional at this! This is going to be the best dance the school has ever had!” Twyla continued, looking off dreamily into the distance how she sometimes does. David might be concerned for her health if it wasn’t so on brand.

“Patrick, can you scoot back?” Rachel asked, gesturing at Patrick where he was sat between them. Patrick pushed his chair back an inch or two to give Rachel clearer access to David. “Okay so fair warning, some of the other girls _think_ they have good design skills, but, much like our dear Patrick, they don’t know the difference between teal and aqua,” she explained.

“Oh god,” David exclaimed.

“Yeah,” Rachel nodded knowingly. “So we usually put them on something less important, like…seating or something. I don’t know yet. Sienna and Georgia even suggested we make you the like, unofficial chair of the dance! They’re just all _so_ excited you’re joining the committee. And so are we, obviously, we’ll actually get to spend some time with you without Patrick following you around like a detached thumb,” she snorted.

“Ouch, Rach. I’m sitting right here,” Patrick chimed in.

“What? You do. It’s cute. Most of the time,” Rachel responded with a hand-wave in Patrick’s direction.

“What does that even mean? A detached thumb?” Patrick muttered, mostly to himself at this point.

“It’s ‘cause you look like a thumb, Brewer. I’ve already told you this,” Stevie piped up from across the table with a smirk.

“Yeah but that doesn’t explain the detach—you know what? Never mind. I, too, am excited to see what David will do with the dance,” Patrick said, squeezing a hand over David’s knee.

As much as perhaps David should have noted that at the very least, Patrick was the world’s _cutest_ thumb, all he actually managed to do was laugh and press a supportive kiss into Patrick’s hair. From the way he leant into it, David figured Patrick didn’t mind.

“I, too, am excited to see David’s sanity slowly unravel as he realises what he’s gotten himself into,” Stevie grinned over the lip of her iced tea.

“Thank you, Stevie, as helpful as ever,” David threw back.

“Admit it, you don’t know what you’d do without me,” Stevie sighed, reaching over to steal a grape from David’s plate.

Because, and _only_ because David knew exactly where this bickering ends, he managed to successfully bite his tongue. This is a practiced dance that Stevie had been perfecting over the last four months – the next thing she brings up is the fact that David would still be moping around under a gloomy cloud and Patrick would still be in the closet if it wasn’t for her. David and Patrick are both defenceless against it, and it makes Patrick go all gooey and grateful. He never makes it long after that before his tongue is in David’s mouth in the middle of the cafeteria, and they’re being warned about warnings of detention. It’s happened enough times that David _knows_ Stevie has some kind of bet going, he’s _sure_ she keeps a tally. So, he refused to bite.

“Stevie! You should sign up too!” Twyla sang cheerfully, and David was thankful for the change of topic for so many reasons. 

“Mmm! Stevie?” David grinned.

Stevie rolled her eyes, which is quite the reaction for Stevie. “Don’t push it, David. I’ll sign up and strong-arm every single person to vote for a red plaid colour scheme, you’d be powerless against it.”

“My god. The hostility. If I weren’t so impressed by your evil ways, I’d be frightened,” David grimaced.

David was met with Stevie’s outstretched middle finger in response, so it was only polite for him to return the gesture.

* * *

After lunch was David’s assigned study period, which meant he usually wandered around the school grounds aimlessly when he wasn’t busy feuding with “librarians”. He was just about to head to the library to see if the school had read his comment cards and fired Doris yet, when his phone buzzed in his pocket.

**💙Patrick** 💙

**1:03 pm: My extra study period time got approved, meet me by the bleachers? 🤓**

David didn’t _run_ to the bleachers, he merely walked faster than was strictly necessary so as to minimise the percentage of the study period not spent with Patrick.

“Hey, study buddy,” Patrick greeted as David threw his sketchbook down on the bleachers beside him.

“No, absolutely not,” David rebuked.

“Welcome to the education station,” Patrick grinned.

“I will turn right around,” David threatened.

“And leave me as the lone member of the Revision Division?” Patrick pouted.

David hated the smile that forced its way onto his face against his will. He hooked a leg over the seat of the bleachers and plonked himself down next to Patrick.

“You are lucky I am contractually obligated as your boyfriend to pretend this isn’t happening for the sake of our relationship,” David explained.

“Did we sign a contract? I don’t think I signed this contract,” Patrick frowned.

“Yes, it’s the same one that says I always get to pick the movie unless it’s your birthday,” David supplied helpfully.

“Ohh, this contract, yes, I have heard of it. My doubts remain that I ever signed it,” Patrick teased.

“You signed it in spirit, when you said you loved me,” David clarified, suddenly very interested in the chewing gum stuck to the seat below them.

“Oh?”

“Mmhm.”

“So before that, I wasn’t _actually_ contractually obligated to let you pick the movies, you were just lying?” Patrick probed, a grin dancing behind his eyes. 

“I don’t remember the exact phrasing of the contract,” David shrugged.

“Okay, but considering this is a valid, working contract, I assume this means it has been signed by both parties?” Patrick confirmed, biting back a full-blown grin.

“…yes.”

“Did some other event spark the spiritual signing of your name on the contract that definitely exists?” Patrick questioned.

“No. It, um, it was the same event,” David answered, clearing his throat.

“Huh.”

“It was more…the um, the act, rather than…the words,” David supplied.

“Right, the act,” Patrick nodded.

“Yes.”

“So I signed this contract, in spirit of course, when I first realised I loved you?” Patrick clarified.

“Yes,” David confirmed quietly.

“That must be why I can’t remember signing it then, it’s been a while,” he smiled softly.

David didn’t even have a _choice_ but to avoid looking at Patrick at that point, his eyes pointed directly upwards in a failed attempt to stop the tears burning at his eyes. With a defeated groan, David turned to look at his perfect, adorable boyfriend, sitting crossed legged next to him. Before he could lose the courage, he took a breath, looked Patrick straight in the eyes and said, “you do know I love you, right?”

Patrick’s responding smile could fix every problem, cure every illness. David almost had to lie down on the cold, steel beam of the bleacher to avoid passing out just looking at it, it was like looking into the sun.

Patrick reached over and kissed David with a little bit more of everything than he’d usually allow on school property. “I did pick up what you were putting down there, yes. It’s um, it’s very nice to hear it, though.”

“I love you, Patrick Brewer,” David laugh-sobbed, pulling Patrick in with a hand on his chin.

“I love you, David Rose,” Patrick grinned as they broke apart. “Even when that means studying outside in direct sunlight in the middle of summer instead of the air-conditioned library.”

“To defend the sanctity of the library,” David added with a giggle.

“To defend the sanctity of this library, and libraries everywhere,” Patrick agreed.

**Author's Note:**

> Our boys are back, y'all, and what a cute freaking time they're having. 
> 
> These next few pieces of the series will pick up at various bigger moments, events and milestones in their High School lives. Obviously, because I'm not a sadist, the next story will cover the dance and the events leading up to it, but please do let me know what else you'd like to see! 
> 
> I love to hear your thoughts, so comments are always appreciated 💕


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